8 Degrees Extra in Cities by 2100 would lead to even more health-impairing impacts

It’s quite probable that cities will suffer greatly under the consequences of climate change. Especially coastal cities, however sustainable they may be, have to suffer the rising sea level as visualized by Climate Central. Amongst other ecological difficulties, generally increasing temperatures in conjunction with the urban heat island effect might heat up cities far beyond the envisaged maximum of the well-known ‘two-degree’ objective. According to a new scientific publication, the world’s cities can warm up by 8°C / 14.4F by 2100.

5 Degrees Extra in Cities by 2100 More Likely And Still Problematic

This would lead to even more health-impairing impacts for urban residents and a rising energy consumption for air conditioning in buildings. However, the forecast is based on the most unfavorable case that may occur. But no reason to take the issue far too lightly. The joint project of the Institute of Environmental Studies and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México makes clear that temperature increases of less than 8°C, in turn, are more likely due to the higher occurrence probability of the input data.

Cities By 2100 Are Well Advised to Shadow Heat Storages Like Concrete or Asphalt

Recommendation

Fortunately, there is a wide range of mitigation measures of which cities can take advantage. In order to lower urban heat, it is recommended to reduce the air temperature by applying the physical laws of the world we know. Planting lushly trees, for example, belongs to the most useful strategies. They provide shade, whereby pavements, buildings or asphalt roads cannot heat up that much and thus give off less heat to their surroundings in the evening and night. At the same time, the well-known natural cooling mechanism provided by evapotranspiration additionally cares for a lower air temperature. Fountains are a great option, too. The heat which is needed for evaporation is supplied by the air, the water and if necessary also by the environment.

The darker the surface, the more heat is absorbed and released during the night

Other options are white surfaces and fewer heat storages in the form of asphalt, concrete or pavement. Dark asphalt, for example, absorbs much more solar radiation than lighter concrete roads. The asphalt soaks up the energy during the day and keeps it like a heat storage. In the night, the asphalt releases the heat in form of long wave radiation into the urban environment and thus decelerates the cooling process during the night time. The darker the surface and the higher the heat capacity, the more heat is absorbed, stored and released later. In return, this causes higher energy usage associated with air conditioning. Furthermore, common air conditioning systems release additional heat via radiation and ventilation which is generated during the cooling process. A vicious cycle?

Climate change with all its possible impacts doesn't take a break and waits till Trump will come to a decision how to proceed

The climate change with all its possible impacts doesn’t take a break and waits till Trump will come to a decision and announces which direction the United States want to head for. Other states are less cautious. Canada, China and the European Union team up to promote the global fight against climate change whilst US-President Donald Trump is still considering to cancel the Paris Agreement.

EU Climate and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, Canada’s environment minister Catherine McKenna and China’s special envoy for climate change Xie Zhenhua came together on Tuesday in Berlin, Germany, and discussed how to continue in a way that the global fight against climate change doesn’t falter in case of the U.S. pulls out of the Paris Agreement.

Nearly 200 members of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) have signed the Paris Agreement – among them also the United States. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and response to global warming and climate change, was entering into force on 4 November 2016.

Bringing together key players is important as McKenna said in an interview. However, without the possible key player called USA. In accordance with Bloomberg, this inter-continental alliance is a further signal that Trump and the USA become isolated from other countries.

“We are often asked about our position when looking at the U.S. uncertainty,” Xie said. “The Paris agreement is a hard-won achievement, and all signatories should stick to it instead of walking away. China will stick to its word.” Donald Trump often announced to cancel the Paris Agreement if elected for presidency during the November elections 2016.

P.R.E.P.A.R.E. & Clean Air Month illustrates short and simple how to proper maintain your vehicle in order to meet the established criteria regarding emissions

Together with the Environmental Protection Division (EPD), Georgia’s Clean Air Force (GCAF) stands up for the reduction of harmful vehicle emissions. They take responsibility for the Enhanced Vehicle Emission Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Program in Atlanta’s 13 metro counties. In this process, the central task is to identify cars and trucks with high emissions and need for repair. Vehicle operators and owners get notified in case of defects in order to comply with absolute emission limits. To date, more than three million heavy-polluting vehicles have been identified and fixed. In this way, they removed more than 1.6 million tons of harmful pollutants.

Georgia’s Clean Air Force now takes advantage of a proven tool to inform motorists how to prevent driving a rank polluter and improve air quality. A lot of things can get across immediately understandable and easy memorably with proper infographics. With their recently published expert tips P.R.E.P.A.R.E. and their infographic Clean Air Month, Georgia’s Clean Air Force illustrates short and simple how to proper maintain your vehicle. As preventative measures are the most effective ones, take the five minutes and check out the following tips. Click on the graphics to enlarge them if needed.

CLICK TO ENLARGE (Georgia’s Clean Air Force)

“Routine tune-ups and regular maintenance can often uncover even the most minor issues that can cause a failing emissions test,” said Pamela T. Earl, Mobile & Area Source Program Manager at the Environmental Protection Division (EPD). “It is helpful to keep these five helpful tips in mind when preparing your car to be tested.”

(Georgia’s Clean Air Force)

Recommendation

Additionally, vehicle owners are free to use GCAF’s Repair Watch. The aim of this public report, compiled together with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), is to meet requirements of the Federal Clean Air Act by assisting car owners with identifying effective emissions repair facilities. This recommendable checklist contains some very concrete hints. In order to meet the established criteria, this guide can be used as an information source to help vehicle owners to locate and better understand emissions-related repairs.

“It is important to follow your vehicle’s regular maintenance schedule, and make sure that you’re doing the little things to maximize fuel economy,” said Earl. “Not only will this help keep your vehicle performing at a high level, it can also help you spot small problems before they become a larger issue.”

An urban success story regarding environment-friendly development

It is possible to swim again in the former industrial river Ruhr in Essen, Germany. An urban success story regarding environment-friendly development. For about 46 years, people were not able to take a bath owing to the contaminated water with its harmful substances. As of late, this has an end. Thanks to Ruhrverband’s 72 sewage treatment plants, being a decisive factor in the success of the improved water quality in the last few years, Essen’s river Ruhr now meets the requirements of the EU bathing water directive. Since the 1980s, millions of euros were invested in waste water removal for a clean Ruhr future.

Cutting the Green Ribbon at The Inauguration Ceremony for The Bathing Area Seaside Beach Baldeney

“It is an indescribable feeling for me as well as for the people of the city of Essen to be able to open the swimming area on the Ruhr and to be able to acknowledge the years of research and the commitment of the Ruhrverband, the city and its partners,” said Thomas Kufen, Lord Mayor of Essen. And even European champion Christian Keller attended the event. He was jumping into the Ruhr water for the first time.

The former swimming world champion Christian Keller dared to jump into the Ruhr with numerous other swimmers (European Green Capital)

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However, it’s officially prohibited to swim in the Ruhr river. No one can say for sure that the water exceeds certain limits again, in particular if sewage flows into the river untreated during heavy rains. Swimming is only possible in designated bathing places. The Ruhr river with a total length of 218 kilometers flows into the Rhine within the city limits of Duisburg, Germany. As early as 1911, the German zoologist August Thienemann complained about the dirty water. He described the water as brown-black slop which strongly smells like hydrocyanic acid without any oxygen and declared the river to be dead. Ruhr’s dirty era started with the discharge of waste water into the river as a result of industrialization in the 19th century. A pollution control law in 1913 laid the groundwork for a tedious recovery process with a setback during the economic miracle in the 1950s.

European Green Capital Essen Convinced With Its Water Management System

Since 21 January 2017, the city of Essen can be proud of its award “European Green Capital 2017”. The title was handed over from the former Green Capital Ljubljana by Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Essen competed against twelve other candidates such as Istanbul, Lisbon or Porto according to the Technical Assessment Synopsis Report.

European Green Capital Essen convinced the European Commission with the following features:

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 40% by 2020;

A water management system with multifunctional green areas used for rainwater management, flood prevention and groundwater recharge results in 15% less rainwater entering the combined sewer network in the area served by those sewers;

29% less car traffic by 2035;

No garbage dumps of domestic waste since the 1960s;

With 376 kilometers of cycle tracks, by 2035 Essen intends to increase cycling by 25%;

Thomas Kufen said: “This award is recognition of Essen’s great efforts to establish itself as a city in transformation; overcoming a challenging industrial history to reinvent itself as a Green City. We strive to be a leading example for other European cities in finding sustainable solutions to urban challenges. We also wish to thank our citizens, as it is their ability to change and their engagement that has been key to our success. We are very excited to show the rest of Europe what Essen has to offer in its year as European Green Capital 2017.”

Recommendation

Based on twelve environmental indicators, former winning cities of the 2008 launched initiative are Stockholm in 2010, Hamburg in 2011, Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2012, Nantes in 2013, Copenhagen in 2014, Bristol in 2015, Ljubljana in 2016, and Essen in 2017. The winner for 2018 is already clear now: Nijmegen, a city in the Dutch province of Gelderland.

In order to fulfill its role as European Green Capital 2017, Dr. Barbara Hendricks, German Federal Minister for the Environment, recently presented the white paper “Urban Green Spaces“. The white paper includes “central fields of activity and measures for securing and categorizing green areas and open spaces”. The Federal Government of Germany will follow up with these topics in the following years.

“Without green spaces, everything is gray: nature in the city improves the air quality and urban climate, minimizes the effects of heat waves, and reduces noise. Green areas, parks, allotments and community gardens promote human contacts and social cohesion, and are beneficial to health and relaxation. And not least, urban green spaces serve to protect the climate and the environment, provide important habitats for flora and fauna, and increase species diversity. Green cities are liveable cities. In order to ensure that this remains the case in future, the Federal Government will support in particular municipal administrations, but also others planning urban green spaces, in categorizing and strengthening urban green spaces,” says German Federal Minister for the Environment Dr. Barbara Hendricks.

It might not be easy to recognize the 1970 built highway

Seoul, South Korea’s capital, is now offering a 983 meters long botanical floating walkway. In return, plenty vehicles driving on this former inner city highway had to go. A meaningful step towards a car-free city? Well, maybe this is too euphoric.

Seoul’s Skygarden Hosts Roughly 24,000 Plants

Officially inaugurated on 20 May 2017 by Seoul’s mayor Won-soon Park, the new public garden Skygarden, Seoullo 7017, hosts around 228 local plant species. All the various trees, shrubs and flowers transformed the air polluting highway to a green recreational walkway.

“Our design offers a living dictionary of plants which are part of the natural heritage of South Korea and now, existing in the city center. The idea here is to connect city dwellers with nature, while at the same time also offering the opportunity of experiencing these amazing views to the Historical Seoul Station and Namdaemun Gate,” said Winy Maas, founding partner of MVRDV.

(Ossip van Duivenbode)

Skygarden’s name Seoullo means ‘Seoul Street’ and ‘towards Seoul’. It was built in 1970. With 645 tree pots and roughly 24,000 plants spreading on an area of 9,661 square meters, it might not be easy to recognize the present-day viaduct. Several stairs, elevators but also ramps, partially from the on-ramps built for the original highway, are connecting Skygarden with different parts of the area.

(Ossip van Duivenbode)

According to MVRDV, the Dutch designer studio who won the project in May 2015, every season has its own particular theme: “bright colours of leaves in autumn of the Aceraceae family (maples), the blossom of cherry trees and rhododendron in spring, the evergreen conifers trees in winter and shrubs and trees bearing fruit in summer.”

(MVRDV)

“The pedestrianised viaduct next to Seoul’s main station is the next step towards making the city and especially the central station district, greener, friendlier and more attractive, whilst connecting all patches of green in the wider area.” said MVRDV.